Automatic fish-cleaner



C(H. CARTER. AUTOMATIC FISH CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED APR; 11, 1921.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

. 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

C. H. CARTER. AUTOMATIC FISH CLEANER. APPLICATION nu-:0 APR. 11, 1921.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921. 2 suens-suasr 2.

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aywewtoz 6. A. 04679? UNITED STATES PATENT CHARLES H. CARTER, or FARMERS FORK, vmernm.

AUTOMATIC FISH-CLEANER.

has for one of its objects to provide a novelarrangement of wheels for removing the scalesfrom the sides, the distance between said wheels being automatically varied according to the size of the fish. Another object isto provide improved means for cutting the' fish open and internally cleaning the: same simultaneously with removal of the scales.

A further object'is toprovide a self-adjustingshoe for scalingthe back of the fish and holding the latter down into proper engagement with the cutting and cleaning means.

A stillfurther object is to provide a device which may be inexpensively manufactured and operated, easily cleaned, and one which will be in every way sanitary. I Vlfith the foregoing and minor objects in view,the invention resides in the noveliconstruction and association of :parts hereinafter described andclaimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanyi ng drawings; H

Figure 1 is aside'elevationiof a machine constructed in vaccordance with my invention." 1

.Fig.2 is ;a vertical transverse sectional view as designated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3-is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view as indicated by line 3-3of Fi.2. p

ig. a is a detail sectional view showing more particularly themounting means for the scaling wheels and, the arrangement employed forforcing these wheels against the sides of the fish. i

In the drawingsabove described, I

have illustrated one ,form of my invention, but it will -be understood that it may be embodied informs other than that shown and that this illustration is 1PI PPQ QSSQ F Y- for illustrative Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

(Application filed April 11, 1921. Serial No. 460,299.

The numeral 1 designates a horizontally elongated casingsupported on suitable legs 2, saidc'asing being open at its bottom and provided with a top 3 which is preferably lunged so that it may be opened whenever desired to gain access to interior parts, in

order that they may be effectively cleaned. Within the casing 1 and extending from end to end thereof-is a smaller casing 41 whose sides are of approximately half the height of and spaced inwardly from the sides of the casing 1. The casing 4: is open at its upper end and is provided at its lower end with a hopper-like bottom 5 having an outlet 6 for discharging theroffals into a suitable container (not shown) Extending long tudinally in the casing 1 are two sills 7 from which a pair of standards 8 extend upwardly into a hood 9 with whichthe hinged cover 3 is provided, said standards bein connected near their upper ends by apair of horizontal bars 10. These bars are provided with vertically alined openings receiving a rod 11 whose lower end carries an elongated shoe 12 which is roughened on its lower side to remove thescales from the backs of the fish. This shoe is forced downwardly under the action of a coil spring .13 and thusserves to hold the fish down into proper engagement with the means described below for splitting the belly of the fish and removing the intestines and ofl'als. V

Below the lowermost bar 10, thestandards 8 are provided with a pair of horizontally alined releasable bearings 14 which re- .ceive a' pair of short shafts 15 whose inner wheels 16 for scalends carry appropriate The outer ends of ing the sides of the fish.

the shafts 15 are reduced in diameter and squared as seen at 17, said reduced and squared ends being slidably received in sockets 18 in additional shafts 19 which extend through the opposite sides of the casing 1. I haveshown coil springs20 located in the sockets 18 and exerting pressure on the shafts 15 to force the wheels 16 inwardly toward each other, whereby to hold them in proper engagement with the sides of the fish being cleaned, while permitting out .ward yielding of said wheels accordingto.

the size of the fish; Extending transversely across the casings 1 and ibelow the shafts 15 and 19, is another shaft 24 which is driven by gearing 25 from said shafts 19, the gearing being preferably located between the side walls of the two casings as 'the rear edges of the blades to form scrapers 28 for the purpose of removing the 1ntes-- tines and oifals from the fish as the belly of the'latter is opened by the knives 27. The fish is held down in proper engagement with the arms 26 by the spring-pressed shoe 1? above described. On one end of the shaft 24 I have shown a fiy wheel 21 while the ot er end of said shaft may be equipped with any suitable means for driving the same, a pulley 22 and a hand crank 23 being shown, so that the machine may be driven either by hand or by power, as occasion may require.

For feeding the fish to the wheels 16 and associated parts, a channel-shaped trough 29 and an endless conveyer 30 in said trough are provided, while a similar trough 31 and conveyer 32 may be employed to carry the cleaned fish from the machine. I have shown both conveyors driven from the shaft 24 by means of sprocket chains 33.

In addition to the features of construction above described, I preferably mount a pair of hoods 34 and 35 on the standards 8 or one of their cross bars 10 so as to cover the upper portionsof the scaling wheels 16 and prevent the scales from being thrown to all parts of the casing. When the cover'3 is 'moved aside, the hoods 34 and 35 may be detached for cleaning and then; by releasing the bearings 14, the shafts 15 and the scaling wheels 16 may be entirely removed from the casing, thereby not only permitting them to be readily cleaned, but giving access to the arms 26 and parts carried thereby, so that these parts may be cleaned. Infact, with the several parts removed in the manner specified, the entire interior of the machine is accessible for washing, cleaning or sterilizing. V i 51" In operation, the fish are fed down the trough 29 and the conveyer 30 feeds: them between the scaling wheelslfi which are pressed inwardly" by the springs .20 into tight contact with the sides of the fish. lVhen the fish is received between these wvheels, it pushes the shoe 12 upwardly "against the tension of the" spring 13, and this shoe cleans the back of the fish, at the same time holding the latterdown so'that the blades .will slit the belly, permitting ,the

is'crapers 28 to remove theo'flals. The comby means ,of the conveyer pletely scaled and cleaned fish are discharged from the machine to the trough 31 32 and the ofials "descend through the outlet 6.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be however that within V comprisingmeans for removing the and a rotary slit.

"Saar first named shafts -seen that while I have provided a machine Since excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, these details may be followed if desired. I wish it understood,

thescope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made without sacrificing the spirit of the invention as claimed.

I claim: 1. A fish scaling and cleaning machine comprising means for scaling a fish, a rotary shaft having radiating arms provided with blades adapted to slitthe belly of the fish,

and scrapers associated with said arms and blades for removing the offals as the fish 1S scraped.

2. A fish scaling and cleaning machine scales, I shaft havingradiating arms provided with blades adapted to fslit the belly of the fish, the outer, ends or said arms being. increased in width to form scrapers als through the adapted to remove the 0 3.14 5 fishsc'aling and "cleaning machine comprising'means for scaling the sides of the fish, means for 'slittingthe belly of the fish and removing the'olfals through theslit, and means for scalingthe back of-t'he fish and v pressing the latter toward said belly slitting and oflalj removing means.

A fish scaling and cleaning machine comprising meansfor scaling the sides' of the fish, means for slitting the belly of the fish and'removing the offa ls;throughthe slit, an elongated shoe adapted to engageythe back of the fisln-said sheets-mg roughenedto remove the scales," and a springfor forcing said shoe into contactj withthe fishs back and for forcin'g. thexfishiinto proper engagemoving "means. V Afih a a. s sca m mac ine comprising a ment with saidbelly and offal repair of scale. removing wheels adapted for "contact with the sides of thefish,a pair of short shafts whose nner ends ,carry said 4 6 b rings 111 which said shafts *are sl'idabjly mounted", additional short shafts alined with the aforesaid shafts 1 and having sockets slidably and non-rotatably receiving the outer ends of the latter,,:coilsprings confined in said sockets for forcing g I V towardfeach other to engage said scale removing WhBBlSWltll the fish, and means" for drivin'gsaidshafts to operate said wheels 7 61A fish scaling and cleaning machine 'comprising'a pair of scale remoylng wheels for contact. with the sides ofthefish, short shafts "carrying. said wheels, bearings in which said shafts are slidably and rotatably m unted, additional short shafts alined with the first mentioned shafts and having a slid ing connection therewith, spring means for forcing said first. named shafts inwardly toward each other to engage said scale removing wheels with the fish, a relatively long transverse shaft below said short shafts, gearing connecting the outermost of said short shafts with said relatively long shaft, means for driving one of said shafts, radiating arms at the center of said relatively long shaft having blades at their outer ends adapted to slit the belly of the fish, the outer ends of said arms having scrapers to remove the oflals through the slit, and a spring-pressed scale removing shoe between the upper portions of said scale removing wheels. 7

7. A machine of the class described comprising an outer leg-supporting casing, a relatively small casing within and extending from end to end of said outer casing the vertical side walls of the two casings being disposed in spaced relation, fish scaling and cleaning means within the relatively small casing, the latter having a hopper-like bot tom provided with an outlet for the ofials, driving means for said scaling and cleaning means located partially in the space between the side walls of the two casings, means for feeding the fish to the scaling and cleaning means, and means for carrying the cleaned fish therefrom. 1

8. A machine of the class described comprising an outer leg-supported casing open at its bottom and provided with a movable top, a relatively small casing within and extending from end to end of said outer casing, said relatively small casing being open at its top but provided with a hopper-like bottom having an outlet for the ofials, the vertical side walls of the two casings being disposed in spaced'relation, a pair of sills extending longitudinally within the relatively small casing, standards rising from said sills, fish scaling and cleaning means supported in part by said standards and having driving means partially located in the space between said side walls of the two casings, means for feeding the fish to said scaling and cleaning means, andmeans for carrying the cleaned fish therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES H. CARTER. 

